建築トレンド

trends in Architecture

A marriage of the traditional and modern

The connections between traditional, wooden Japanese architecture and the concrete, glass, and steel creations that cover the country today may not be immediately apparent. But look closer and you’ll notice the timeless Japanese qualities of exacting precision and craftsmanship. Setting the contemporary structures apart is their innovative use of design and natural materials, be it in service of stark minimalism or soaring flights of fancy.

metabolism

One influential trend was Metabolism, an architectural movement that emerged in postwar Japan and sent forward-thinking architects down a new path. Championed by the likes of visionary architects Fumihiko Maki, Kenzo Tange, and Kisho Kurokawa, the Metabolist movement saw cities as changing entities that needed to grow and develop like the human body. You can still see Kurokawa’s iconic Nakagin Capsule Tower in Tokyo, and while it's one of the few remaining Metabolist structures in Japan, you can experience the movement’s enduring legacy by staying in an ultramodern, ingeniously designed capsule hotel. The first of its kind was Kurokawa's Capsule Inn Osaka, which opened in 1979 and was heavily influenced by the Metabolist concept.

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D The building-block style of the 1972 Nakagin Capsule Tower is reminiscent of organic cells, bringing Metabolism alive as a visual concept.

Back to Nature

Some of the most stunning contemporary structures in Japan are those that blend natural materials with ultramodern designs, creating architecture that feels new and yet traditional. Many of these are found in natural settings, harking back to Japan's traditional appreciation for nature and the four seasons.

Exploring Modern Architectural Marvels

Jikka House This private retirement home sits on a hilltop surrounded by woodland in Shizuoka Prefecture. A cluster of five teepees clad in cedar panels, the home was designed by Issei Suma for his mother and her companion, who also wanted to use the building as a community café.

Tetsu Tea House This highlight at the Kiyoharu Shirakaba Museum in Hokuto (Yamanashi Prefecture) was designed by Terunobu Fujimori. Taking its use of traditional materials to the next level, it uses a single cypress trunk as support for the suspended treehouse, and can sway safely during storms and earthquakes. Other organic designs by Fujimori include homes whose chimneys are planted with pines and whose roofs are covered in leeks and chives.

Ribbon Chapel The award-winning Ribbon Chapel designed by the firm NAP stands in the garden of the Bella Vista Spa & Marina in Onomichi (Hiroshima Prefecture). Inspired by a flying ribbon, it has two spiral stairways that intertwine and support each other—a visual metaphor for the act of marriage.

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D The striking design of the Ribbon Chapel links the elements of earth and air.

Be More Japan trends in Architecture

Towers of the Tokyo Skyline

Tokyo Tower (1958, Tachu Naito) A symbol of Japan’s postwar boom, this bright broadcasting tower is a key landmark rising above the city’s clustered skyscrapers

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (1990, Kenzo Tange) This twin-towered building complex (left) is an iconic sight to the Japanese.

Tokyo Skytree (2012, Nikken Sekkei) In sharp contrast to its neo-futuristic style, the tower's illuminations evoke the traditional aesthetic concepts of iki (style) and miyabi (elegance).

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